High impact information on faf

• A specific protein substrate for a deubiquitinating enzyme: Liquid facets is the substrate of Fat facets [1].
• Using a genetic modifier screen, we identified four enhancers of grim-reaper-induced apoptosis that all regulate ubiquitination processes: uba-1, skpA, fat facets (faf), and morgue [2].
• Fat facets does a Highwire act at the synapse [3].
• Fat facets is a deubiquitinating enzyme required in a cell communication pathway that limits to eight the number of photoreceptor cells in each facet of the Drososphila compound eye [4].
• Although other pole plasm components are required for localization of nanos RNA or for nanos protein function, faf is not [5].

Biological context of faf

• Fat facets is a Drosophila deubiquitinating enzyme required for eye development and early embryogenesis [6].
• In a screen for mutations affecting Drosophila eye development, we have identified a gene called fat facets (faf) which is required for cell interactions that prevent particular cells in the developing eye from becoming photoreceptors [5].
• Fat facets belongs to a class of deubiquitinating enzymes called Ubps that share a conserved catalytic domain [7].
• In a mutagenesis screen for suppressors of the fat facets (faf) mutant eye phenotype, we identified mutations in DNAprim [8].
• We show that while flies lacking DNAprim activity are lethal, flies with reduced DNAprim activity display morphological defects in their eyes, and unlike faf mutants, cell cycle abnormalities in larval eye discs [8].

Anatomical context of faf

• Prominent among these proteins was the ubiquitin-specific protease Fat facets (FAF), a pole plasm component [7], but one whose roles in posterior patterning and germ line specification have remained unclear [9].

Regulatory relationships of faf

• Mechanisms by which DNA primase levels might influence the faf-dependent cell communication pathway are discussed [8].

Other interactions of faf

• We found no genetic evidence to support a role for either Canoe or Armadillo in the essential Fat facets pathways in Drosophila eye development [6].
• Consistently, the protein level of at least one component of the Ras signal transduction pathway, the transcription factor D-Jun, is elevated in faf eye discs at the time when the ectopic photoreceptors are induced [10].

References